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AZ

I sensed Ajax’s intent a second before I felt his canines bite into my throat. A sharp gasp left me, followed by a groan as liquid fire blasted through my veins.

“ Fires ,” I hissed, losing myself to Ajax’s vampiric kiss. How the hell had I gone a decade without feeling this? Had I known, I would have made him bite me the first time I fucked him.

Ajax pulled back, his blue-black eyes alive with hunger. “Your blood has always been empowering. But this…” He trailed off and went for the opposite side of my neck, biting down and sending another blast of heat through my insides.

“Fuck,” I ground out, leaning into his touch and needing more. “This is making me so damn hard.”

Not that I hadn’t been hard already before he’d even begun.

Watching him handle Dakota had turned me on, which was all kinds of fucked up, but I’d enjoyed seeing him deliver her death sentence. I only wished he would have tortured her a bit.

However, that hadn’t been what he’d needed.

And I respected his choice in how he dealt with the situation.

Just like I respected his choice now as he claimed me with his bite. “Fires, I want you to do that to my cock,” I admitted on another groan. I knew it would hurt to feel his teeth sink into my hard flesh, but I was all for the pleasure that would follow. “It’ll probably make me come.”

Ajax growled, his mouth pulling away from my neck. “I’m not sucking your cock.”

“I didn’t ask you to suck, just bite,” I replied.

His gaze narrowed. “You want me to kneel.”

“I do,” I confided. “But only if you want to.”

“Always in control,” he returned, making me wince.

“Ajax—”

His mouth covered mine before I could finish my reply. Not that I really knew what to say. He was in charge; I was just voicing my desires. But I understood why he thought it was me seizing the reins.

Because that was what I did. What came naturally to me and my Phoenix.

Although, I was trying to submit to him. To let him master me and?—

Ajax jolted against me as the foundation below our feet shook. I tore my mouth away from his, my gaze instantly traveling the corridor of the dungeon.

“What the fuck was that?” I demanded, searching for whatever creature had caused that minor earthquake.

“I don’t—” Another tremble cut Ajax off, causing both of us to face opposite sides of the hallway. His back brushed mine, our aroused states instantly forgotten.

Something was coming, but the uneven vibrations made it difficult to tell which direction it was coming from.

“It’s several hours before curfew,” Ajax said, wariness in his voice. “There shouldn’t be any prisoners out at the moment.”

I grunted. “Unless the Hellhounds fucked something up. Garmr has been playing Warden in your absence.”

Ajax made a noise that said how he felt about that. Garmr wasn’t incompetent, but he managed too much in this realm, which often meant he had to delegate tasks to his Hellhound minions.

And those minions… were often incompetent.

“Fuck,” Ajax muttered. “Time to hunt.”

My lips curled. “Sounds like fun, actually.”

“Says the Commander,” Ajax drawled, his focus still on his side of the hallway while I guarded mine.

Only whatever was coming seemed to have disappeared.

Or gone above ground .

I glanced upward. “You don’t think…”

“Fuck,” Ajax repeated, clearly following my train of thought.

Both of us vanished at the same time, Ajax shadowing and me ashing, and arrived just outside of the detention dungeon. One glance toward the Candidate Headquarters confirmed my fears—the prisoners had escaped.

And not just a handful, but several.

Ajax instantly took out his wand as my sword formed in my hand.

“I’ve got the Minotaur,” I informed him.

“Which one?” Ajax asked, causing my lips to curl down.

I glanced at him and saw he was focused on the nearby arena where two bull-like Nightmare Fae and various others were prowling around. “That’s impossible,” I said under my breath. “Typhos wouldn’t have this many prisoners masked in Nightmare Fae mirages.”

“Yeah, not to mention, last I checked, there was only one Minotaur in the cells,” Ajax echoed. “Not two.”

Shit . Something wasn’t right.

A thought that was confirmed as multiple Nightmare Fae barreled out of the arena and headed straight for the snake-vined walls that surrounded the library and bridal dorms.

Feminine screams rent the air next, causing the hairs along my arms to stand on end.

This is chaos , I whispered, sensing the rise of magic filtering through the paradigm. Typhos, I said, switching my focus to the Hell Fae King.

Quiet followed. An eerie form of silence that had my instincts flaring to life.

Cami, I tried next.

Nothing.

Az , Ajax spoke into my mind, causing me to glance at him. I can’t hear Cami.

Neither can I. Nor can I hear Typhos.

Ajax’s jaw visibly clenched. Vivaxia?

Maybe, I replied, that static electricity mounting. Likely .

Ajax twirled his wand. What do you want to do, Commander? Tame some beasts with me? Or ash out for reinforcements?

And leave you here to have all the fun? I returned, huffing a mental laugh. Fuck that. My sword glowed with violet flames, my beast pacing inside. This is our favorite foreplay, Warden.

“It’s always about sex with you,” Ajax said out loud.

“Sex and blood tend to go well together,” I returned, glancing pointedly at his mouth and the speck of my essence painting his lips.

He licked the blood off in response, then gave me a chilling smile. “I’ll take the gates by the library. You take the dorms.”

“All right,” I agreed, ashing before saying another word.

And immediately winced as I landed in a sea of nervous energy.

Several of the bridal candidates had gathered here, anticipating the incoming fight.

“Oh!” A female with bright red hair tried to hit me with a fiery ball of sticky magic, one I slashed with my sword. As soon as her hazel eyes met mine, she gasped out an apology, one I flicked away with a subtle head tilt.

When a second female nearly swung at me with some strange-looking flaming bat, I growled. “Get out of my way and let me handle this.”

But as I stepped through the crowd and looked out through the gate, I saw it wasn’t just a few Minotaurs and Manticores coming this way.

There were Centaurs, too.

Several Banshees.

Two Nagas.

And a fucking Sea Dragon.

What the fuck is going on? I wondered, my eyes widening as an Unseelie joined in the fun.

We’re under attack , Ajax returned. And they’re not coming from the prison, Az.

A portal door opened nearby, the power touching my senses and confirming Ajax’s assessment. This is definitely Vivaxia’s doing, I told him.

Not that I needed to.

We both knew what was happening here—another spell. Only this one was impacting all of the incoming Nightmare Fae.

And turning them feral.

I could see it in their expressions as they charged forward, their gazes set on the brides behind me.

They’re going to destroy everyone here , I told Ajax.

They’re going to have to get through us first, he replied.

Indeed . I crouched, ready. But already I knew there were too many for us to take on alone. And there were more coming.

The brides were going to have to fight. Some of the nearby Hell Fae, too. Assuming Vivaxia’s spell didn’t infect them first.

Fires . We needed Typhos, and we needed him right fucking now. “Who can teleport?” I demanded, my focus on the approaching Nightmare Fae while my words were for the candidates and lingering Hell Fae nearby.

A chorus of affirmations met my ears.

“All of you go to the Hell Fae Palace in the Hell Fae Kingdom. And shout for Lucifer.” I didn’t look to make sure they adhered to my command.

Someone would listen.

Hopefully more than a single person.

And hopefully they would be able to reach the Hell Fae Kingdom.

Because who the fuck knew what kind of spell Vivaxia had woven over this paradigm? Whatever it was, I hoped Typhos would feel it. And soon…